In The Reflection of Clear Water
by AstringentSaccharine
Summary: AU Esperanza Lahote is on the run from her abusive shape shifting ex, hell bent on her tracking her With no other place to go, she escapes to La Push to live with her cousin Paul, where she becomes Seth's imprint
1. Introduction: Never No More

**Brief Summary: AU - At age 21 Seth Clearwater finally finds his imprint in Esperanza Lahote, Paul's cousin. She is currently on the run from her psycho shape shifting abusive ex, who is hell-bent on tracking her down. If he can't have her, no one can.**

**Main Character's Note: I picture Silver Zuleyka as Esperanza, Wes Bentley as Carey, Chris Wilton as Sullivan, Adam Brody as Maurice, and Ryan Kwanten as Aussie. Like my other stories I'll have pic links up of everyone, but just in case you cannot access my links, here's a little insight into my imagination.**

**And for you True Blood fans, if you hadn't had the pleasure of hearing Ryan Kwanten's (Jason Stackhouse) true Australian yummy accent, you tube him. If you thought he was sexy before, you'll find him downright irresistible after that! He'll be using his true accent in my story. **

**Disclaimer: All Twilight Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer; all original characters have been created by me or IAmPhoenix**

**Beta'd By Sparkling-Iris and IAmPhoenix **

**Introduction: Never No More**

_Gave It All To You  
With No Questions Asked  
I Wanted A Future  
Who Cares About My Past?  
__That First Argument_**_  
_**_You Up And Left__  
I've Seen A Change In You  
Words I Won't Accept  
I Thought I Lost You  
When You Twist Back My Arm  
Cause The Man I Thought I Knew  
Wouldn't Do Me No Harm  
And That Ran Through My Mind, Over Again  
I Promised Myself You Wouldn't Put Your Hands On Me Again  
Never No More _**  
**

**Never No More - Aaliyah **

**Esperanza POV**

Finally...I felt brave enough to leave. After three long years of being his personal punching bag, I had finally gathered the strength to walk out the door. As I frantically packed one single bag, I continuously caught myself looking at the clock on the wall. My adrenaline was pumping, my hands trembled, and I could hear my heart pulsating in my ears. I didn't have that much time and I still had no idea where I was going. I only had a little over four hundred dollars to my name. Carey controlled my finances and I was only given a certain amount per week.

In the beginning life with Carey and his crew was fun and accelerating, but as time passed and more members walked away from him to lead normal lives, Carey became angry, power hungry, and violent. Maurice and Sullivan were the only two members of his crew that still remained willingly. In the last year, Carey alienated me from all of my friends and both of my parents were dead now. I took one more glimpse in the mirror and gazed at the double black eyes staring back at me. No way would makeup be able to conceal this mess. Angrily, I yanked the engagement ring off my finger and threw it in the sink. I wanted no materialistic reminders of him and the life I once led. I hurried to the car and started the engine, backing out and racing off into the night.

The first time I ever heard the term shifter or spirit warrior was a long time ago, I couldn't have been no more than eight or nine years old. Dad took me for a visit to see my Uncle John and cousin Paul on La Push Reservation, my mother had only been gone for a few months yet I missed her immensely. I longed for her presence every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, but my mother was gone and never coming back.

I remembered being enamored by the stories Billy Black, the chief of my father's tribe shared during the roaring bonfires. My cousin Paul was eleven or twelve at the time, he and my Uncle John had just recently moved back to La Push after his parent's nasty divorce. My father and Uncle John were fraternal twins. In my mind's eye, I could still see Paul and the rest of the younger boys prowling around and howling at the moon like real wolves. Us girls would simply shake our heads and laugh.

I saw the legends of spirit warriors and cold ones as nothing more than entertainment; old stories passed down from one generation to the next. It wasn't until I met Carey, when I learned that shifters were very real. Carey was the last person I thought would be a shifter. He wasn't Native American, no one in his crew was. Still, they had the ability to shift, and not into just wolves, but any animal they desired. They called themselves skin-walkers. For some reason, I never told Carey the legends of my father's people or even revealed I was half Quileute. Those legends felt sacred whether they were true or not. But even though he had the ability to shift, he was no spirit warrior. Carey and his crew were something else; they were something dark and dangerous.

All except one.

Aussie was different. He'd step in between Carey and I when things got violent. He was the only friend I had left, Aussie was more like a brother to me. After stepping in one too many times, Carey kicked him out of his gang, but it didn't stop him from coming back for me two nights later, when Carey and his crew left for a few hours. I refused to go with him. I feared if I did, Carey and his gang would track us down, take me back, and then kill Aussie. Aussie was no weakling, but he didn't stand a chance three against one. Sadly he would die fighting for me and I couldn't have someone else's blood on my hands, especially not Aussie's. He told me he'd be lurking in the shadows, far enough so his scent wouldn't be detected, just in case I changed my mind.

That was a year ago. Aussie was gone and I feared, I would never see my only friend again.

After three hours of driving with no plan whatsoever, I reluctantly admitted to myself I had no other place to go but home to La Push, a place where I had only been a few times yet remembered vividly how to get there.

It took me another thirteen hours of constant driving to reach my final destination. I hoped and prayed to the great spirits and my deceased parents that my Uncle John and cousin Paul would still be living in the same house. Even if I couldn't stay with them for long, maybe I could crash there for a few days. Although night had transformed into day and there was no sun in sight, I wore shades to cover the _handiwork _Carey administered recently to my face. I sat in the car for what felt like forever debating on what I should say. The last time I seen Uncle John and Cousin Paul was four years ago at my father's funeral. I was seventeen at the time, they asked me if I wanted to come back to La Push with them. I said no and opted to stay with a girlfriend and her mom. What a foolish choice on my part! Here I was now, twenty-one and more worse off than I had been at my father's funeral. Had I consented, I wouldn't be in this predicament right now.

I slowly walked up to the door and knocked.

"Just a minute!" A woman's voice responded on the other end. Had Uncle John gotten remarried? The door slowly opened.

Oh my! This _could not _be Uncle John's wife. She was way too young, although she looked slightly older than me. The nameless beauty had enchanting dark brown eyes and soft features. She was a little shorter than me, but it isn't saying much. I was only 5'6. "May I help you?" She asked.

"Umm...I think." I stammered. "Is John or Paul Lahote home?" I asked politely. A sad look appeared across the young woman's face, she looked down briefly and then back up at me.

"I'm terribly sorry, but there's no easy way to say this," She took a deep breath before continuing. "but John Lahote passed away last year of pancreatic cancer." I felt my heart sink. My uncle died from the same cancer my father had. "But Paul still lives here, I'm his wife Rachel." Her name sounded vaguely familiar.

"Wife?" I repeated, trying not to cry from the news of my uncle's passing. She nodded. Paul was only twenty three. He's already married?

"And you are?" She finally asked me. Damn it! How could I have been so rude? I didn't even tell her who I was.

"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Esperanza Lahote. My father was-"

"Mark Lahote!" She exclaimed, a huge smile spread across her face as she pulled me in for a hug. "Ranza!" She laughed, hugging me. I hadn't heard my nickname in years. I was so shocked by her warm embrace I almost forgot to hug her back. "You don't remember me? Do you?" She asked pulling away. "Please come in." She practically yanked me inside.

"I'm sorry I don't." I felt bad, this Rachel not only knew my nickname but she remembered my father as well.

"I'm Billy's daughter." She smiled. I thought back and scanned my memories, as the images came back I did recall twin girls cuddled up next Billy during our bonfires. "You have a little brother and twin sister."

"That's right!" She smiled. "Rebecca moved to Hawaii, she got married. Jacob's not _so little _anymore, Jacob and Paul are the same age you know? He just got married to Bella Swan, they live with my dad, he's wheelchair bound now." She said with mild exasperation.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." I replied.

"He's pretty independent, Jake and Bells are driving him crazy more than anything!" She and I walked into the living room. "Paul left to attend a meeting, he should be back soon." We sat down on the sofa. "Can I get you something to drink? Water? Juice?"

I took a deep breath and removed my sunglasses. Rachel's eyes widened the size of saucers, but she didn't look upset, she looked furious. Her nostrils flared slightly. "Got any scotch?" I laughed nervously. Instead of demanding what happened, Rachel quickly regained her composure, slowly rising and walking over to the liquor cabinet. She poured us both a glass.

All I had to now is wait for my cousin Paul to show up.

**A/N: This is just the intro, future chapters will be much longer. Review, follow, and add to your alerts. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 1: Someone to Love You

**Beta'd by the awesome IAmPhoenix and the amazing Sparkling-Iris, you two make my work ten times better!**

**A special thanks to **brankel1, IAmPhoenix **and **my wonderful Guest(s) **for reviewing. To answer your question about Aussie being for Leah...you'll just have to keep reading to find out. I guarantee she will find her soul-mate in this story also no matter what!**

**Many thanks to following readers who added me to their favorites and alerts: **IAmPhoenix, Truth-Between-the-Line, chained2love, daryldixonlover18 **and last but surely not least **shyliek1999

**Chapter One – Someone To Love You **

_Girl, I think you've gone for far too long  
Without a good man to make you smile  
Now how can I appeal to you and make you understand  
That I'm here, what are you waiting for?  
Someone to love you_

_All you need is someone who cares  
Someone who will always be there  
All you need is someone who cares  
Someone who will always be there_

_Maybe you've been waiting for a man from all your fairy tales  
Or maybe just a man from all your dreams  
Try and think reality, enjoy the possibilities  
'Cause girl, you now you've waited for so long  
For someone to love you_

_All you need is someone who cares  
Someone who will always be there  
All you need is someone who cares  
Someone who will always be there  
Someone to love you_

**Someone To Love You – Ruff Endz **

**Seth POV**

**Pack Meeting**

After destroying the redhead leech who was desperate to kill Bella, life had been pretty chill on La Push. Every now and then the cold ones would cross into our territory, but it wasn't anything that ten bad wolves couldn't handle. In the past six years with minimal threats, we were able to lead relatively normal lives.

After Joshua Uley passed away, he left Embry and Sam a substantial amount of money in his will. Apparently after Joshua disappeared; he reinvented himself under an alias and had several patents under his belt, which Sam and Embry continued to benefit from quarterly. With that money, they pretty much put every dime back into La Push.

Paul and Sam became business partners and started a construction company, which employed quite a few locals from La Push _and_ Forks. Embry and Jacob also opened a mechanic shop on the rez, which brought business in from Forks as well as Port Angeles. Meanwhile, Brady and Collin worked for Sam and Paul. Quil and I worked side by side with Jake and Embry, and Jared joined the tribal police. I guess slaying vampires at night wasn't enough for him, so he had to take care of the human scum bags during the day too. As for Leah, she had a knack for numbers and got her finance degree. She sort of became the pack's financial adviser in all business endeavors. Thankfully she was less ridged and bitter these days. When we first noticed her change in attitude, and asked her what was going on, she simply shrugged her shoulders and replied, "_How long can you be pissed about your ex imprinting on your cousin? It's time to drink some prune juice and let the shit go!"_

With the money the pack was bringing in, we banded together and created scholarship programs for the rez kids, remodeled several buildings and homes that were in need. Although the imprints didn't have to work, Claire, Kim, and Emily kept themselves pretty busy. Claire now 20, was volunteering as a tutor while Kim began teaching piano lessons. Emily owns a bakery. Although Jake was married to Bella, he hadn't imprinted.

When Edward Cullen left Bella all alone in the woods that fateful night, a piece of her died, but Jacob brought life to her once more. He never gave up, it only took a matter of time for Bella to fall for Jacob. Imagine Jacob's surprise when he discovered through the pack archives that true Alpha's didn't imprint, since the tribe must come first for him in our line of work. As of today, Bella recently started her own catering company.

Even though this wasn't the life I initially wanted for myself, I felt content. I still got to do everything I ever wanted. At 21 I was employed, not to mention, minus Brady and Collin, we all had our own places on the rez and we were no longer viewed by our tribe as a cult, rather as actual assets to our community.

Every Friday between 2 and 5 we'd have a pack meeting. The time was never set in stone since we had regular lives to lead. Jacob was now Alpha, Sam stopped phasing two years ago after Emily had their firstborn and named her Marabelle; however he still remained involved. He'd cover us while we attended our weekly meetings. Our new Beta? My sister Leah.

"Alright guys, this shouldn't take long." Jake announced. We were seated around a large table in the break room of the mechanic shop. "As you all know," He went on, "Blondell River moved to La Push to live with her grandmother a couple of months ago and Embry imprinted on her." He nodded towards our pack brother, who had a ridiculous grin on his face. "He finally told her everything, she took the news pretty well, and has accepted the imprint."

"Congrats man!" Quil smacked him on the back.

"Thanks." He chuckled.

"Brady and Collin just completed their first two semesters online, and passed every course." Jacob continued.

"Guess you assholes don't have mush for brains after all." Paul snorted, as Brady and Collin shot him the bird. We all laughed.

"And our boy Seth...or maybe we should call him a man now, just turned 21." Jacob added. Bought damn time! "We're having a little get together at Paul's place for all four of them to celebrate."

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Brady laughed. "I gotta call Tina, see what she's doing tonight."

"She ain't doing you." Collin ribbed.

"Oh you don't think so? Wanna bet asshole?" He countered.

"You don't have enough swagger to get with Tina!" Collin laughed. "But I do." It was hard to believe these two assholes were best friends, they turned everything into a competition. Whether it be work, women, or who could catch a vamp first, they could find a bet in anything!

"Will the two of you shut the hell up?" Leah interrupted. "Tina doesn't want either one of you, last time I checked, she's into men, not little boys. This meeting isn't over yet, Jake don't you have a big announcement of your own?"

"Yes." A big grin spread across our Alpha's face. "In about nine months, Leah will be standing in as Alpha for about two weeks and Embry will be acting as Beta."

"Nine months?" Paul repeated, totally clueless. Hopefully Jake would elaborate for our lost pack brother.

"Bella's pregnant." He revealed. The room erupted with congratulatory cheers. "I really want to be there the first two weeks to help her out with our baby and I know Leah is more than capable of keeping you jack asses in line." He joked.

"You'll be a great dad, man." I told him.

"I hope so." He grinned elatedly. "We should head to Paul's place and get the living room cleared out so Brady can set up his DJ equipment."

"Yeah, the girls should be making their way over to my place right about now." Paul added, looking at his watch.

"Hey Embry isn't this Blondell's first gathering with everyone?" I asked as I stood up.

"Yeah, I hope everything goes well, she's accepted the imprint but she's still adjusting to the idea of being someone's soul mate at seventeen." He sighed.

"You should have her talk to Claire, man." Quil suggested. "She was fourteen when I imprinted on her."

"That's a good idea." Embry acknowledged. "Thanks, man."

"It's all good. I got your back." He grinned.

Getting to Paul's place didn't take long since it was only about fifteen minutes away, cutting through the woods. A car with out-of-state license plates was parked in the driveway, Rachel was outside pacing back and forth, but stopped the moment she saw the pack emerging from the trees.

"Hey babe, what's going on? Whose car is that? And why are you outside?" Paul asked. Rachel lifted her hand, making Paul pause dead in his tracks.

"You have to promise me that you won't phase no matter how angry you get when you walk in the house." Rachel spoke sternly, ignoring his questions.

"Who's in there?" Paul demanded.

"Your cousin Esperanza showed up about an hour ago-"

"Ranza?" He laughed, passing his wife. "Why would I be angry about my little cousin showing up?" Rachel grabbed his arm. He could easily have dragged her with him, but wouldn't dare. Rachel backed away several feet from her husband and took a deep breath.

"She's banged up...pretty bad...two black eyes." She finally spoke. "There's no telling what else is the matter with her."

Instantly, Paul started breathing heavily, his body beginning to shake with anger. Paul this angry was not good. The last time this happened was when Bella slapped him years ago. He phased on the spot. It took years for Paul to get his anger in check, and it was still hard for him. He was just naturally a hot head. Just then Kim pulled up in her car with Blondell, Bella, and Claire. Emily and Sam would be joining us later.

Jake, Quil, Jared and Embry made a bee line towards the car. There was no way they'd let the girls anywhere near Paul when he was that damn angry. Someone needed to reason with him.

"Paul." He whipped his head in my direction. "I know you're pissed, but I'm sure your cousin has been through a lot of shit and most likely, she's pretty traumatized, the last thing you want to do is go in there and phase. It will only make matters worse for her...for all of us. You. Have. To. Calm. Down."

"He's right Paul." Rachel slowly walked up to her husband.

"Fine." He gritted his teeth. "But she will give me some answers. Everyone wait outside." He started walking towards his front porch.

"Oh no you don't!" Jake spoke up. "Quil and Seth, go in there with him, just in case you have to drag his ass out, and don't leave his side under any circumstances."

Quil and I walked over to Paul.

"She's in the guest room." Rachel told us.

"Come on." I could tell he was annoyed by the fact that Jake commanded us to go with him, but protecting our secret was just as important as finding out who did this to Esperanza.

As we made it inside, we heard Embry suggest moving the party to his place, doubting Esperanza would be up for company, which made a lot of sense. It always amazed me, how much more understanding the imprinted wolves became after meeting their mates in comparison to us who hadn't yet. We walked slowly down the narrow hallway to the guest room, the door was closed.

"Ranza...it's your cousin Paul. Can I come in?"

We heard footsteps making their way to the door, that she slowly cracked open. She was wearing sunglasses. She almost shut the door again when she noticed Paul wasn't alone, I'm sure three tall men standing in the doorway could be overwhelming for anyone.

"It's okay, we work together, they're like family." He assured her.

Esperanza looked down at the floor for a moment. She exhaled. Slowly, she backed away and walked towards the bed, leaving the door ajar.

"So what's with the shades?" Paul asked, taking a seat at a small desk in the room. Quil stood in the doorway while I walked over to where Paul was sitting.

"I'm sure Rachel already told you." She whispered. From the moment Esperanza let us in, I felt this overwhelming feeling, a feeling I never felt before, like my body was being pushed forward, closer...to her.

Esperanza was petite, but curvy. Her jet black wavy hair flowed halfway to her back. Even with shades on, I could tell she was beautiful. Her face was heart shaped, and she had a slender nose. She had thin petal shaped lips. Her soft-looking skin had to be two shades lighter than mine.

"Could you take off your shades?" I didn't even realize the verbal request came from me, until Paul shot me a look that said: _back off_. But I couldn't. It was as if I was no longer in control, something else in me was, and that something else wanted..._needed_...to see her eyes. "We already know what you're hiding, my mom is a nurse, and I've picked up a thing or two when it comes bruises and contusions."

Esperanza fidgeted with her fingers for a moment, sighing deeply she removed her shades, and immediately dropped her head. Within seconds I was kneeling before her. My hands shook, but not from anger, but anticipation as I lifted her chin to survey the damages, and as her eyes met mine, gravity moved. Esperanza was the ONE. My absolute soul mate. I knew, through and through, she was meant for me and I for her.

Something must have happened for Esperanza too, her dark brown eyes had grown wide when staring into mine. "Who are you?" She asked me. Everything you want. Everything you need. I thought to myself.

"My name is Seth Clearwater." I replied instead. As happy as I was to have found my imprint, I was just as angry. At that very moment, I made a silent vow to myself:_ I was going to find whoever did this, and make them pay! _"Quil, bring some ice and a towel." I said calmly, despite my anger. Even though I was talking to my pack brother I hadn't taken my eyes off of Esperanza.

"Sure." I heard him say.

"I hope you like fruit." I gave her a smile and for the first time since we arrived, her lips curled up a little. "Eating fruit helps your body reabsorb the blood that has built up around your eyes much quicker. Papayas and pineapples work best." My hand traveled up her cheek.

"Seth!" I heard Paul's sharp voice in my ear. "Can I talk to you outside?"

Just then Quil returned with the ice and towel. As much as I wanted to stay, I knew I would have to explain my behavior to Paul. As I tried to get up, Esperanza gripped my hand that was still resting on her cheek. She didn't want me to leave. "I will be right back, I promise." She reluctantly loosened her grasp. Quil handed me the towel now wrapped in ice. I gently pressed it against her eyes, she winced a bit and it almost broke me, but I had to be strong for her. "I'm sorry." I apologized. "Remove the towel from your eyes after about 10 minutes and then keep it off your eyes for 15. We're going to have to keep doing this for the next two hours, but I promise you, with this, the fruit, and some pain pills, you'll be as good as new in less than a week. I'll send Rachel back in here to keep you company. When we come back, we're going to ask you some questions, okay?"

"Okay." She agreed.

The three of us barely made it off Paul's porch before he started hitting me up for answers. I wasn't surprised to see everyone was still outside and hadn't left yet.

"What the fuck was that all about!?" He flung his hand wildly at his front door. I ignored him.

"Rachel could you go inside and keep Ranza company until I get back?" Rachel's perplex look mirrored everyone else's, still, she walked past us and headed inside.

"You don't get to call her that!" Paul trembled. "You are not her damn family! I am! You don't even fucking know her!" He shoved me roughly. Shocking him, everyone else, and even myself, I shoved him back. Not prepared for my actions, he fell over.

"You never even said more than three words to Rachel before she left for college, once she got back, within ten minutes of the imprint, you were calling her _Rach_, now aren't you the fucking pot calling the damn kettle black! You hypocrite!" I snarled. Paul glared at me as if I had grown three heads right before his very eyes. "Now, that I have your attention," I took a deep breath. "Look man, I know this isn't easy for you, just like it wasn't easy for Jake when you imprinted on his sister, but we have to work _together _for the benefit of Esperanza so we can get to the bottom of this mess." I extended my hand out to help him up. He hesitated for a moment, but finally took it.

"You imprinted on her?" I turned around to see my sister looking totally flabbergasted. I nodded.

"Ah hell no!" Brady groaned. "We're dropping like damn flies!"

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Review, follow, and add to your alerts.**


	3. Chapter 2: The Trouble With Love Is

**Beta'd by the awesome the amazing Sparkling-Iris, you make my work ten times better!**

**To my lovely reviewer(s) **Guest **a million times thank you for your encouraging words!**

**A special thanks for the following readers who added me to their favorites and alerts:**

Cindee, Buzooka Zooka, SPARKELS77, and jrejew

**Chapter Two - ****The Trouble with Love Is**

Love can be a many splendored thing  
Can't deny the joy it brings  
A dozen roses, diamond rings,  
Dreams for sale and fairy tales  
It'll make you hear a symphony  
And you just want the world to see  
But like a drug that makes you blind,  
It'll fool ya every time

_Now I was once a fool, it's true  
I played the game by all the rules  
But now my world's a deeper blue  
I'm sadder, but I'm wiser too  
I swore I'd never love again  
I swore my heart would never mend  
Said love wasn't worth the pain  
But then I hear it call my name_

**The Trouble with Love Is – Kelly Clarkson**

**Esperanza POV**

After sixteen hours of driving, the exhaustion finally crept in. Rachel showed me to the guest room and I flopped down on the bed, trying to process everything that happened. I lifted my wrist to stare at my watch. It was the first time I'd ever even worn it...in public. Aussie bought it for me a week before he was kicked out of Carey's gang. Every time things got bad, I would pull it out from its hiding place, stare at it, and remember all of the good times I had with my honorary brother. In the beginning, Aussie was more like a baby sitter when Carey noticed I was starting to fall out of love with him. He was afraid of leaving me alone for too long, and thought if given the golden opportunity, I would. I still remember our last real conversation.

**Brief Flashback**

"_Hey there dag," Aussie greeted me and sat on the sofa. Carey, Sullivan, and Maurice had gone to some bar. I rolled my eyes playfully._

_"I wish you wouldn't call me that, I mean aren't dags little balls of pooh that attach themselves to the wool around a sheep's ass?" I joked with him._

_He shrugged his shoulders. "All the same the unattractive ass-end association, it's still a term of endearment down under." He smirked._

_"Oh so now I'm unattractive?" I pretended to sound appalled._

_"I've seen better." He retorted which earned him a playful smack on the shoulder. We sat in companionable silence for a moment just staring at the TV. Finally he spoke, "I got you a prezzie today." He pulled a small jewelry box out of his pocket, and handed it to me. "Don't wear it around Carey, keep it somewhere safe where he won't find it." I nodded slowly as I opened the box._

_"Oh my, this is Marc Jacobs. Aren't they pretty expensive?" I was in awe of its beauty._

"_It's nothing, besides you're worth it." He helped me put it on. "This little ticker is from the Marine Rock collection. It's gold plated stainless steel with white silicone coating for added comfort. The dial is completed with sub dials, date display and rose gold hour markers. Fold over clasp and water resistant." He smiled. "Just remember to have it off by the time Carey gets back." I removed it, and just the thought of him walking through the front door seconds later made me rush to my room and hide it under the floor board. I returned to find Aussie looking rather sad and nervous._

_"What's going on? You've never bought anything for me before, Aussie." I joined him once again on the couch._

_"Carey is going to kick me out of the crew soon." My eyes widened and I suddenly started to panic._

_Who would look after me now, with Aussie gone? Tears started streaming down my face. "I'm so sorry darl, he's jealous of you and me."_

_"But why? We don't even see one another in that way!" I sobbed, as Aussie pulled me into his arms and held me tight. There was nothing romantic about our bond, it was strictly sibling like; platonic._

"_I know, but he doesn't like the way I've been standing up to him. We're not like most packs. We all found one another. He can't command us to do anything. The gang listens to him out of fear, except for me." I jerked away from him and gave him a confused look. "Most packs and gangs have a pecking order, they're leader is called Alpha. Skin-walkers are different from shifters. Most of the time, a pack of shifters are from the same gene pool or tribe so to speak, and something triggers the gene to go active for them, many shift around the same time together. Skin-walkers, however, have extremely recessive genes. Many centuries pass in between before one's gene activates again, and because of that, we become nomads, gypsies so to speak. We come together as one group from all walks of life. I might look 27 darl, but I'm actually much older."_

_"You stop aging once your gene activates?" He nodded slowly._

_"We're going to have to stop being friends in front of Carey, have a falling out of sorts. You need to earn his trust back so you can be left alone."_

_"Why?" I demanded._

_"Because, when he kicks me out, I'm coming back for you."_

**End of Flashback.**

"Ranza...it's your cousin Paul. Can I come in?" Paul's voice pulled me back into reality.

I grabbed my shades from off the desk and put them back on. I knew that Rachel may have told him what happened, but I still felt ashamed and didn't want him seeing me this way. I made my way to the front door and cracked it open, but immediately tried to shut it the moment I realized he wasn't alone. Two very tall russet men were with him.

"It's okay, we work together. They're like family." He assured me.

I looked down at my feet, I really didn't want anyone looking at me, with their judgmental glances. But Paul did mention they were like family, and I doubted he would allow anyone to speak negatively of me. I took a deep breath and slowly backed away from the door, leaving it slightly open. I returned to the bed.

"So what's with the shades?" Paul asked, taking a seat at a small desk in the room. One of the males stood in the doorway while the other walked over to where Paul was sitting. I sensed something special about him, something I couldn't really place my finger on. I felt this strange attraction towards, almost magnetic in a sense, a force reeling me in.

"I'm sure Rachel already told you." I muttered. I found myself staring at Paul's friend through my shades.

He had very defined, lean muscles and high cheekbones, I couldn't help but wonder how many hours he spent in the gym each day. He was tall, and had to be at least 6 feet. His dark hair was cut extremely short. Although he appeared to look slightly older than me, I noticed a youthfulness about his face. He had to be the most handsome man I had ever seen in my entire life.

"Could you take off your shades?" He spoke directly to me, and my stomach immediately started doing flip flops, it must have bothered Paul because he proceeded to shoot the most intimidating glare at him. "We already know what you're hiding, my mom is a nurse, and I've picked up a thing or two when it comes to bruises and contusions."

For the first time in my life, vanity kicked in it. If he saw what I looked like under my shades, I'd for sure scare him off. I began fidgeting with my hands; a trait I inherited from my mother when I was nervous. Maybe, he wasn't like most men, maybe he could see past my outward appearance and see I was more than just some battered woman, but there was only one way to find out. Sighing deeply, I removed my shades, and immediately dropped my head. Within seconds he was kneeling before me. I felt his hands gently lift my face and our gaze finally met.

Oh. My. Goodness! At that very moment I felt my whole entire being fall apart and come back together, but instead of feeling empty inside, I felt whole. I knew this man belonged to me, now if I could only find out his name. "Who are you?" I finally asked him.

"My name is Seth Clearwater." In his eyes, I saw nothing but pure, unadulterated adoration, but there was something else there. Anger. But why? Was he upset with who did this to me? And if he was, did that mean he was feeling the same emotions I felt? "Quil, bring some ice and a towel." That must have been the name of the guy standing in the doorway.

"Sure." I heard him say.

"I hope you like fruit." How I loved his smile! It had to be contagious because I couldn't help but give him a small one in exchange. "Eating fruit helps your body reabsorb the blood that has built up around your eyes much quicker. Papayas and pineapples work best." His hand traveled up my cheek, and I shivered.

"Seth!" Paul did not sound happy. "Can I talk to you outside?"

Quil returned with the ice and towel. I didn't want him to leave me, he had to stay. I held on to his hand which was still resting on my face. "I will be right back, I promise." He vowed and I believed him, I reluctantly dropped my hand, letting him go. Quil handed him the towel wrapped ice. Seth gently pressed it against both eyes, I was expecting for it to hurt so bad, I let a small whimper.

"I'm sorry." The way the words escaped his lips sounded as if he was just in as much pain as I was. "Remove the towel from your eyes after about 10 minutes and then keep it off your eye for 15. We're going to have to keep doing this for the next two hours, but I promise you, with this, the fruit, and some pain pills, you'll be as good as new in less than a week. I'll send Rachel back in here to keep you company. When we come back, we're going to ask you some questions, okay?"

"Okay." Was all I could say. Within seconds I heard the front door close and then re-open. I could hear Paul and Seth arguing outside, but I couldn't really make out what was being said.

"Ranza?" I heard Rachel enter the guest room. "Are you okay?"

"As okay as can be expected." I replied. I could hear Rachel sit down beside me.

"What's going on out there?" I asked. "Why is Paul arguing with Seth? He was just trying to help me."

She responded with a question. "Could you tell me what happened in here?"

"I really don't know." I sighed. "One minute Paul was trying to ask me what happened and the next minute, Seth sort of took over." I heard Rachel shift a little next to me.

"What do you mean 'took over'?" She asked.

"I don't know how to explain it, it doesn't make much sense. I'm feeling so many different emotions right now." Am I losing my mind?

"Of course you're emotional, you just went through a pretty traumatic event." Rachel rubbed my backed comfortingly.

"No, that's not what I mean, I'm talking about...Seth." I blushed slightly. "I feel...I feel...never mind." I shook my head. There was no way I would make an ass out of myself. I didn't know Seth from a can of paint. He could be married or have a girlfriend, and even if he was single, it would be unwise to get involved with Paul's friend. If things didn't work out, life would be plain awkward between the three of us and that was only if Paul was okay with us dating. From what I gathered from his reaction just now, he didn't seem too happy about Seth's display of affection towards me. Furthermore, what the hell was I thinking? I just got out of a horrible situation, love should be the furthest thing from my mind, but it wasn't.

"It's okay, you can tell me." Rachel said. "What do you feel?"

"I can't believe I'm telling you this," I mumbled. "I feel connected to him, from the moment he walked in I felt this magnetic surge between us, and then when our eyes met for the first time, I felt like everything was going to be alright and it was because of him...Seth." Rachel remained silent for what felt like an eternity. "Rachel?" Did I freak her out, did she think I was crazy?

"Are you sure about this?" She finally asked. "You felt a pull towards Seth?" I nodded.

"If that's the case, I'm pretty certain I know what happened."

She does? I removed the makeshift ice pack from my eyes and appraised my cousin's wife's appearance. She had a slightly stunned expression on her face.

"I'm losing my mind, aren't I?" I knew it would only take a matter of time before I had a psychotic breakdown.

"No." She chuckled. "I think you may have experienced something similar to love at first sight, but deeper."

"Oh great." I mumbled, laying back on the bed and placing the towel of ice back on my face. That's when I heard several other voices. "Who's outside?"

"Paul's co-workers and their girlfriends, wives, and fiancées. We were going to have a party here tonight in honor of Seth turning twenty-one." He was my age?! He looked older. "Brady and Collin are nineteen, they work for Paul, they just completed their first year of college online, but it's no big deal, they'll just move the party elsewhere." I sat up.

"No!" I objected. "There is no way I am ruining you and your friend's plans or Seth's birthday. I'll just stay in here. The last thing I want you guys to do is change things on my account." Wait a minute, Rachel just said Paul's co-workers' girlfriends are out there. Did Seth have a girlfriend? Is that why Paul got upset? Suddenly I felt nauseous realizing I may have fallen for a man who was totally unavailable.

"Are you alright?" She asked upon noticing my change in behavior.

"He has a girlfriend? Or a wife, doesn't he?" I felt heartbroken.

"No he doesn't." Rachel assured me. "Seth is very single." Oh thank goodness!

"We're back." Seth and Paul entered the room.

"I'm sorry I'm ruining your birthday." I blurted out before I could stop myself.

"You didn't ruin my birthday." He responded quickly. "I turned twenty-one weeks ago." He sat down beside me. "If anything, you're the best belated birthday present I ever I got and you can crash my party anytime you want."

I noticed Paul scowling in the doorway.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked him.

"I'm adjusting." He grunted. To my presence? Did he not want me here? He was the only family I had left, and I needed him now more than ever. The thought of him not wanting me around made me feel terrible. I felt like I wanted to cry.

"I'm sorry I came, I didn't mean to interfere with your life and bring my drama here, if you want me to leave..."

"Why the hell would you think that Ranza?" Paul finally made his way inside and stood in front of me. "We wanted you here years ago."

"But you just said you were adjusting..." I trailed off.

"Not to you being here." He sighed. "I'm adjusting to something else." He added, glaring at Seth who was staring at me.

"Ahem!" Rachel cleared her throat, swiftly changing the topic. "Esperanza doesn't want us to change our plans."

"You don't have to do that, everyone understands, there will be other parties." Seth smiled at me.

"You're not going?" He shook his head no.

"We're staying here with you." Paul added. "We need you to tell us who did this, so we can find him and beat his ass!"

"No!" I yelled. The last thing I was going to do was let Carey and his gang anywhere near Paul or Seth, they had no idea what they were up against. "It's too dangerous, you have no idea what you're asking, he's...dangerous."

"Oh yeah?" Paul said in a very challenging tone. "So are we." What was that supposed to mean?

"Trust us." Seth placed his hand in mine. He was abnormally warm...but he didn't look sick at all. He felt really hot...like Carey.

Why hadn't I noticed this before? Had I been so caught up in the magnetic pull between the two of us that I totally overlooked his incredibly warm temperature? Startled, I jump off the bed and stumbled into Paul's arms. He was just as strangely hot as Seth!

"Are you alright?" Paul asked. I shook my head. The sudden feeling of terror and fear took over. I felt weak and dizzy. I had no control, and my breathing became erratic. I wiggled out of Paul's grasp.

"The legends are true." I managed to say staring at my cousin.

"What legends?" I heard Seth ask in confusion.

"Spirit warriors." I finally muttered as everything went black around me.

**A/N: Review, follow, and add to your alerts. Thanks for reading. **


	4. Chapter 3: Now That She Knows

**Beta'd by the awesome the amazing Sparkling-Iris, you make my work ten times better!**

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**Chapter 3 – Secrets **

"_What is love? Love is when one person knows all of your secrets... your deepest, darkest, most dreadful secrets of which no one else in the world knows... and yet in the end, that one person does not think any less of you; even if the rest of the world does."_

**Seth POV**

Twenty damn minutes! That had to be a world record. Esperanza had figured out what Paul and I were in less than half an hour. With this new development, we decided to cancel the party completely and reschedule it for tomorrow. Jared and Brady volunteered to go on patrol for Paul and I, while the rest of our pack remained here. The imprints feeling their bond to Esperanza didn't want to be away from her, so they remained as well. We realized early on, the imprints were like a pack of their own. I guess it made a lot of sense in a way, I mean who else could they be totally honest with? No one. They only had each other, such a close connection between them was bound to happen.

Currently, Bella and Kim were in the kitchen prepping dinner for us, while Emily served drinks. Blondell and Claire sat at the table talking quietly amongst themselves. After Esperanza passed out, I immediately called my mom. She would be here as soon as possible to check her out. Moreover, Paul and I hadn't left her side. Jacob joined us.

"Explain it to me again." Jacob paced back and forth in the room, every now and then he'd look over at Esperanza as if he was trying to read her mind. Too bad the imprints didn't share our pack mind, in this case it could've helped a great deal.

"For the thirtieth time, she freaked out. One minute she was sitting on the bed next to Seth and then she lost it. She said something about the legends being true and called us _spirit warriors_." Paul recited his explanation once more to our Alpha.

"That just doesn't make any sense!" He said again. "One of you must have done or said something to her when you guys started asking her questions about who assaulted her!"

"We didn't do anything." I told him. "She said the person who did this was dangerous and Paul said so were we. I told her she could trust us, I touched her hand and she lost it." Jake stopped pacing.

"You never mentioned anything about touching her the few times you told me what happened." Our Alpha stared at me.

"I didn't think it was important." I admitted.

"It's extremely important, we run hot! Your elevated temperature triggered something in her." I leaned back stunned finally realizing it was me who scared her. I felt terrible.

"But the legends never mentioned anything about our temps being elevated." Paul interjected.

"Her scent." I muttered, Paul and Jake looked at me. "At first I thought, maybe she had a pet that she left behind,"

"I noticed that too." Paul admitted. "Do you think, she was actually around shifters like ourselves?"

"It's possible." Jake nodded. "Similar, but not like us, granted Sam lost his cool with Emily but that was entirely different, we would _never_ intentionally harm our mates." We heard a light knock at the door.

"Seth, its mom." I let her in. Mom walked over to the bed. "You say she fainted?" She asked while pulling out her portable blood pressure cup from her bag.

"Yes ma'am."

"Well, let's just check her vitals to ensure she's alright." My mother moved some loose strands of hair out of Esperanza's face. "Oh dear." She surveyed her black eyes. "How could someone do such a thing?" She muttered.

"We don't know, but we intend on finding out." I growled.

**Meanwhile...**

Carey realized the moment he arrived home that something was wrong. Esperanza's car wasn't in the driveway. She had a midnight curfew and was never late. He sent Sullivan out to look for her, but her scent went cold. It wasn't until he noticed her engagement ring in the sink that he realized she took off. No one left Carey. Ever.

"I don't get it," Carey rubbed his temples with frustration. "She forgave me for last night."

"Oh face it Carey!" Maurice scoffed. "That bitch played you for a fool!"

"This whole entire time she was trying to gain your trust so she could leave the first time you left her all alone." Sullivan added as he took a seat on the sofa next to his leader. "Just forget about her, there'll be others."

"I can't!" Carey roared as he stood to his feet. "No one tricks me and gets away with it, besides she knows too much."

"He's right." Maurice agreed. "So what do we do?"

"Her last name is Lahote, it's pretty uncommon. I also know her social security number." Carey stormed into his room and returned with his laptop. "We do a background check, find out who her parents are, look for living relatives. That bitch shouldn't be too hard to find."

"What are you going to do when you find her?" Sullivan raised one brow.

"I'm going to give her two choices." Carey began. "Choice number one, willingly return to me and I never let her out of my sight again. Or choice number two, don't return to me and I kill her and every single person she holds near and dear to her."

"Sounds like a plan." Maurice smiled.

**Seth POV**

"Seth, Paul, and Jake?" We heard Rachel call us. "Can we speak to the three of you?" I really didn't want to leave Esperanza, not until I knew for sure she was okay.

"Go on." My mom coaxed me, noticing my delay. "She's in good hands."

Still I felt hesitant.

"Come on, let's just see what Rach wants. The sooner we talk to her, the sooner you can get back to Esperanza." Jake said. I buried my face in my hands and took a deep breath.

"Fine." I finally murmured. "Call me if anything changes."

"Of course I will Seth." My mother assured me.

As I reluctantly walked out, we found Bella and the girls waiting in the kitchen. Rachel stood firmly next to Bella; Claire, Kim, and Blondell were behind them. If they were an actual pack, I believe Bella would have been Alpha and Rach, her second in command. Leah was leaning against the fridge. Every single one of their faces had the exact same expressions: concern, worry, and determination.

"What is it Rach?" I didn't mean to sound aggravated, but I had never felt so frustrated and lost in all my life. Esperanza was battered and passed out in the guest room. Paul was still pissed about me imprinting on his cousin, and now Rachel wanted to talk to us.

"We've been talking amongst ourselves, and we feel it would be in the best interest of Esperanza, if we were in there when she woke up. Not you guys." She spoke sternly.

"Really?" I was flabbergasted. "And why did you all come to that conclusion?"

"We overheard what was being said in there." Bella began.

"You mean you were eavesdropping." Jake interrupted his wife and smirked.

"Be that as it may," Rachel picked up where Bella left off. "She passed out because she knows what you are, Seth, and it scared her, she's afraid...of you guys." The conclusion the imprints came to hit me like a ton of bricks. They were right. I dropped my head. The realization hurt worse than any physical blow I ever experienced in my life. I heard Rachel step forward and felt her take my hand. "Perhaps meeting us will calm the situation and she won't be afraid of you anymore."

"What about you Leah, you're still one of us." Paul stared at my sister.

"But I'm a woman first." She responded quickly.

"Where's Emily and Sam?" I realized they were both gone.

Claire cleared her throat. "Aunt Emily felt it would be best if Esperanza met her later. She thought if she saw her scars, she'd jump to inaccurate conclusions about all of you."

That must have been difficult for Sam to hear.

"I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she's comfortable," I sighed. "And if that means me not being in there with her and you ladies instead, I'll respect that."

"Come on girls, our sister needs us." Bella gave me a brave smile as she, Rachel and the rest of the girls walked past me.

"It will work out Seth." Leah gave me a hug.

"Take care of her for me." I whispered in her ear.

"You know we will." She conveyed before leaving Paul, Jake, and I alone in the kitchen.

**Esperanza's POV**

"I think she's waking up." I heard Rachel whisper as my eyes fluttered open and I saw her face leaning over me.

"Welcome back." She smiled. "Are you alright?"

"How long have I been out?" I croaked.

"Almost three hours." I heard another voice answer, my eyes shifted in the direction where it came from. I was surprised to see six new female faces spread across the room. Five young, one middle aged. Three sat on the floor, while the eldest woman sat at the desk. The other two remained standing. "We continued using the cold compress, how do you feel dear?" The older woman asked.

"Better." I replied as I scanned the room.

New faces always made me uncomfortable. So why didn't I feel this way around these women? I felt the exact opposite. I felt secure and safe, I felt like I belonged. I slowly sat up, and leaned against the headboard.

"Seth will be relieved to hear that." Rachel smiled.

Seth. I remembered now. He was a shifter and so was my cousin Paul. I started feeling uneasy again, the only shifters I ever knew brought me nothing but fear and pain. Everyone except Aussie.

"We would never hurt you." The taller very attractive woman standing, replied, calming me down marginally. She had perfect copper-toned skin and eyelashes like feather dusters. Her sleek black hair was cut short in a pixie-like style. "I'm Leah," She nodded towards the older woman sitting at the desk "and this is my mom Sue, she's a nurse and has been looking after you."

"Leah is Seth's sister, thus making Sue his mom as well." Rachel added. Leah did resemble her brother a little. "And this is my sister-in-law, Bella." She nodded her head towards the girl standing next to Leah.

Bella was very pale in complexion with long, straight, dark brown hair, a widow's peak, unique chocolate brown eyes and a heart-shaped face with a wide forehead. She grinned at me. "And this is Blondell River, Embry's," Rachel trailed off as if she were trying to figure out the perfect title for the teenaged looking girl.

"Special friend." She blushed a little, Blondell was slightly darker than Bella, and she had extremely long jet-black hair, a round face, and enchanting gray eyes. "This is Claire." She smiled at the woman sitting next to her. "She's engaged to Quil Ateara."

Claire was my tone, making her a little lighter than Leah and Rachel, her hair was dark brown with dyed blonde highlights, she had dark brown eyes, and thin lips. Something told me she was the wild child of the group from the way she winked at me.

"And last but not least." Claire draped her arm around the shy looking one who had yet to be introduced. "This is Kim Cameron, Jared's wife." She smiled at me.

Kim's smooth skin looked like russet-colored silk in the firelight, I admired her perfectly shaped lips and wondered if I ever seen anyone with teeth that white before. She had high cheekbones. Kim was what people called a natural beauty. She wore no make-up and really didn't need it either.

"All of your spouses are like Seth and Paul?" The girls nodded yes to my question, except for Leah. I backtracked to what she said earlier. _We would never hurt you. _She said 'we'. "The legends never spoke of female spirit warriors."

"I'm an original." She revealed with a cocky smile. "Now that the introductions are out of the way, was it our high temperatures that gave us away?" I nodded yes. "Have you met others like us?"

"Not quite like you, from what I recall, our spirit warriors only change into one animal. Carey and his gang can change into many." The girls' eyes widened slightly as they looked at me and then one another.

"Is _that _dipshit's doing?" She nodded towards my face.

"Yes." I admitted. "But, you don't have to go after him, I never told him about La Push."

"I think we should still beef up on patrols, just in case." Leah relented.

"And I honestly didn't mean to react so poorly to Seth and Paul, I feel terrible." I shook my head. "Deep down inside I know they would never hurt me, but it was a lot to take in. The last shifters...skin-walkers...whatever they're called, I was around, weren't very nice to me. Are they okay?" I asked.

"They're more concerned about you Esperanza." Sue gave me a sad smile.

"Where are they right now?" I asked.

"Knowing how important you are to both of them," Leah quietly walked over to the door and opened it. There stood Paul and Seth who were clearly listening in. "Not far at all."

"I guess we're busted." Seth mumbled as Paul nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Can we come in?" I nodded.

"We'll let the three of you finish your conversation." Leah clapped her hands together. "Come on girls."

"We'll come by and see you tomorrow." Bella smiled at me. "If that's okay?"

"I would actually like that, it's been a long time since I had female friends." I responded.

"We're much more than that to you Esperanza, we're a sisterhood." Rachel added. She gave me a quick hug before following the other girls out.

"Seth has my number if you need anything." Sue smiled.

"Thank you for everything." I told her.

"You're very welcome." She replied before exiting the room, leaving me with Seth and Paul.

"Would you like for us the leave the door open?" I could tell that Seth was trying to make me feel comfortable.

"You can leave it open, but not because I'm afraid, I believe whether it's shut or not, your gang will still hear us anyway."

"Pack, we call our group a pack." Paul explained. "We went through a lot to get rid of the connotation."

"Fair enough." Just as Seth was about to speak, a loud howl ripped through the woods, making the two of them tense up.

"That's a distress call from Jared!" Paul snarled.

"We have to go." Seth rushed out the room. I yanked the covers off of me and jumped out of bed and ran after him, just in time to see four other men running out the front door.

"Leah stay here with the girls." One guy ordered.

"I'm on it Jake." She stood by the door.

"Wait!" I grabbed Seth's arm. "Don't go!" Seth turned around.

"I have to, if this asshole tracked you, we can end this now." Seth stroked my face and then kissed my forehead. Before I could even object, he and Paul were gone. Rachel walked up to me and guided me into the living room.

Fifteen minutes passed and not one of us said a word. Leah was pacing back and forth in the living room. "Damn this!" She finally exhaled. "I have to see what's going on."

"But Jake said not to leave us!" Bella objected.

"I can just phase in the backyard and see what's going."

"Hurry back." Bella advised. Leah nodded, then headed out the back door.

"They share a pack mind, they can see one another's thoughts." Bella explained to me. Three minutes later, Leah returned.

"Well, what did you see?" Claire demanded.

"A tiger the size of a fucking horse!" Leah snarled. "He was all white, with ginger stripes." She continued as the girls began to panic. "Don't worry!" She assured them. "He's alone, and they have him cornered, it'll be over soon."

Alone? Carey never attacked alone! Not to mention Carey, Sullivan, and Maurice hated shifting into tigers, they hadn't mastered attacking well in that form...only one had. The tiger was his favorite. I used to tease him, and say I preferred him in that form because he was more fun. His ginger stripes were the same color as his hair when he was human.

Aussie!

"Oh no!" I immediately rose from the sofa and bolted for the front door.

**A/N: Yes Aussie is on the scene! Thanks so much for reading. Please be sure to review, add to your favorites and alerts. I have a poll question up regarding my next story on my profile, please vote. If you like Leah/OC stories, I have a new one up, check it out. Thanks once again, you all are awesome!**


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